Connector shield termination in limited clearance installations

Abstract

Apparatus and methods provide for the termination of shields within and around a cable at a connector in limited clearance environments. According to embodiments described herein, a shield termination fixture includes a base, at least one insert aperture, at least one retainer, and a mechanism for terminating cable shields. The base attaches to a connector and defines the insert aperture through which a cable will enter the fixture for connection to the connector. A signal wire of the cable is connected to the connector and a wire shield is positioned between a base wall adjacent to the insert aperture and a shield retainer. The shield retainer is secured to the base, compressing and terminating the wire shield. A cable shield may be terminated via compression between a cable shield retainer and the shield retainer, between the shield retainer and the base, or via fixed attachment to a retainer.

1. A shield termination fixture, comprising:
 a base configured to connect to a tray connector; 
 at least one insert aperture defined by the base and configured to allow a signal wire of a cable to pass through the base and connect to the tray connector; 
 a retainer configured to provide for compression shield termination between the retainer and the base for terminating a wire shield; and 
 a cable shield retainer configured to connect to a top surface of the retainer and to terminate an overbraid shield or braidsock surrounding the cable as the cable enters the shield termination fixture. 
 
   
   
     2. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the cable shield retainer is configured to compress the overbraid shield or braidsock between a bottom surface of the cable shield retainer and the top surface of the retainer for termination of the overbraid shield or braidsock. 
   
   
     3. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the overbraid shield or braidsock is fixedly attached around a perimeter of the cable shield retainer. 
   
   
     4. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the cable shield retainer comprises the overbraid shield or braidsock being fixedly attached to a perimeter of the cable shield retainer. 
   
   
     5. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the tray connector comprises an ARINC 600 connector and wherein the at least one insert aperture comprises six insert apertures corresponding to a plurality of signal wires of a plurality of cables to be connected to the ARINC 600. 
   
   
     6. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein the retainer comprises a plurality of removable sections such that each of the plurality of removable sections may be mated to the base independently of each remaining removable section. 
   
   
     7. The shield termination fixture of  claim 6 , wherein the plurality of removable sections comprises a plurality of removable section pairs, each pair configured as a closed loop and positioned on the base to create an extension of an insert aperture. 
   
   
     8. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , wherein a base surface and a retainer surface are configured as male and female engaging surfaces such that one of the base surface or the retainer surface nests within another one of the base or the retainer surface. 
   
   
     9. The shield termination fixture of  claim 8 , wherein the base surface extends away from the at least one insert aperture around a perimeter of the at least one insert aperture to create an aperture entry for receiving the retainer, and wherein the retainer surface is configured for insertion into the aperture entry of the at least one insert aperture such that the retainer surface abuts the base surface and provides for compression shield termination between the retainer surface and the base surface for the wire shield or for the overbraid shield or braidsock. 
   
   
     10. The shield termination fixture of  claim 1 , further comprising a shield tip protection mechanism operative to prevent a shield tip from contacting an object external to the shield termination fixture. 
   
   
     11. A method for terminating a cable at a connector, the method comprising:
 routing the cable through an insert aperture of a shield termination fixture; 
 connecting a signal wire of the cable to the connector; 
 positioning a shield of the cable over a top surface of a base portion of the shield termination fixture adjacent to the insert aperture; 
 positioning a retainer over the top surface of the base portion; and 
 securing the retainer to the top surface of the base portion such that the shield is compressed between the top surface of the base portion and a bottom surface of the retainer. 
 
   
   
     12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 installing a cable shield around a portion of the cable entering the shield termination fixture; and 
 affixing the cable shield to the shield termination fixture. 
 
   
   
     13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein affixing the cable shield to the shield termination fixture comprises compressing the cable shield between the top surface of the base portion of the shield termination fixture and the bottom surface of the retainer or compressing the cable shield between a top surface of the retainer and a bottom surface of a cable shield retainer. 
   
   
     14. The method of  claim 12 , wherein affixing the cable shield to the shield termination fixture comprises soldering the cable shield to the retainer or soldering the cable shield to a cable shield retainer configured to connect to the retainer. 
   
   
     15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein positioning the retainer over the top surface of the base portion and securing the retainer to the top surface of the base portion comprises:
 positioning a first portion of the retainer over the top surface of the base portion; 
 securing the first portion of the retainer to the top surface of the base portion using fasteners that extend through the first portion of the retainer into the top surface of the base portion; 
 positioning a second portion of the retainer adjacent to the first portion of the retainer over the top surface of the base portion such that the first portion of the retainer and the second portion of the retainer surround the cable; and 
 securing the second portion of the retainer to the top surface of the base portion using fasteners that extend through the second portion of the retainer into the top surface of the base portion, 
 wherein the shield is compressed between the top surface of the base portion and the bottom surface of the first portion of the retainer or of the second portion of the retainer. 
 
   
   
     16. A shield termination fixture, comprising:
 a base configured to mate with a tray connector and comprising a plurality of base walls that define a plurality of insert apertures between the plurality of base walls, each insert aperture configured to allow a signal wire of a cable to pass through the base and connect to the tray connector; 
 a shield retainer configured to mate with a top surface of a base wall, wherein the shield retainer provides for compression shield termination between a bottom surface of the shield retainer and the top surface of the base wall for terminating a shield of the cable; and 
 a cable shield retainer positioned such that the shield retainer is disposed between the base and the cable shield retainer and configured to provide for termination of a cable shield surrounding the cable as the cable enters the shield termination fixture. 
 
   
   
     17. The shield termination fixture of  claim 16 , wherein the shield retainer comprises a bar clamp secured by at least one fastener to a base wall. 
   
   
     18. The shield termination fixture of  claim 16 , wherein the cable shield is fixedly attached to the cable shield retainer. 
   
   
     19. The shield termination fixture of  claim 16 , wherein the cable shield retainer is configured to compress the cable shield between the shield termination fixture and the shield retainer to provide for termination of the cable shield.